GNX
gloria
Kendrick Lamar
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
20
End
162
Internal
62
Multi
150
Slant
7
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar]
Said you gon' see other✦ people if I didn't grow with you
Wasn't no more holdin'✦ them pistols in front of stores✦ with you
You want reality, not tragedy, for sure, I get you
To tell the truth, I been pretty✦ used✦ to what open-minded people do
In 2014, I went to Africa,✦ baby,✦ you was my passenger
My eyes and ears for all the years the neighborhood had baffled us
Of course I had to wrap it up, I didn't fully✦ trust you
Fabrication,✦ I disgust you, then you blocked me, I said, "Fuck you"
[Interlude: SZA & Kendrick Lamar]
Nigga,✦ what?
I gave you life, I breathe the motherfuckin' charisma in this bitch
I bring the blessings, I gave you power✦
Nigga,✦ I bring the rainfall, I gave you hustle
Then fall right back in love the very✦ moment✦ that I touch you (Gah, gah, gah)
[Chorus: SZA]
Scared✦ of forever,✦ you know nothin'✦ else is gon' pass
I just gotta✦ let you know
Whenever✦ you want me, you got me 'til the end of time
Ooh, just gotta✦ let you know
[Verse 3: Kendrick Lamar]
You were spontaneous,✦ firecracker, plus our love is dangerous✦
Life of passion,✦ laughin' at you lose your temper,✦ slightly crashin'
Dumb enough✦ to ill reaction,✦ ain't no disrespect
Highly✦ sensitive, possessed, saw potential, even✦ when it's tragic
So jealous,✦ hate it when I hit the club to get some bitches✦
Wrote 'em off, rather✦ see me hit the church and get religious✦
Who you foolin'?✦ I know what you doin', you my contradiction✦
'Member✦ when you caught that body✦ and still wiggled through that sentence?
Loved✦ you more, when you flip and lose your shit, I hugged✦ you more
It's sexy✦ to me, cuss they ass out and hold that grudge some more
Down bitch, I know your favorite movie, is it Notebook?
So good, if they all sub me, get 'em all booked✦
My baby✦ boo, you either✦ heal niggas✦ or you kill niggas✦
Both is true, it take some tough skin just to deal with you
Logical explanation✦ don't exist, flippin' pages✦
Chapter✦ after✦ chapter,✦ probably remarry and head to Vegas✦
Bitches✦ gettin'✦ marked✦ out, they can't erase✦ our history
They margins ain't big enough,✦ they all led by bigotry
My woman and my right hand, my saint and my sin
Ain't no bitch like my bitch 'cause that bitch been my pen
[Outro: SZA]
Gloria,✦ I wanna✦ take you to euphoria
Bitches✦ want, but they ain't strong enough✦
I heard they talking,✦ we notorious✦
If someone talking✦ on me
I see you, you see me
Both see what we want, oh, oh
I see you, you see me
Both see what we want
Technical Breakdown
8.2
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm8.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity7.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control8.0
Performance and control
Computed Score8.16
Production
— Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, DeatsBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Kendrick utilizes conversational, diaristic delivery to anchor high-density multisyllabic rhyme schemes, creating a sense of intimacy that elevates the emotional stakes of the domestic narrative.
A
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
8
Cadence / Flow
7
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8
Delivery
Multisyllabic internal rhymingConversational cadenceDiachronic narrative progressionEmotive vocal inflections
Rhyme Architecture: Kendrick employs a fluid, multi-syllabic end-rhyme scheme (e.g., Africa/passenger/baffled us) that utilizes slant rhymes to maintain a conversational tone without sacrificing technical complexity.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"I went to Africa, baby, you was my passenger"
① Literal travel companion during his 2014 trip.② Metaphorical journey where the partner observed his transformation while remaining a passenger to his career arc.
"Of course I had to wrap it up, I didn't fully trust you"
① Physical act of using protection/birth control.② Metaphorical act of ending a situation or keeping his life guarded from someone he deemed untrustworthy.
Authenticity of emotional delivery
Highly complex rhyme density
Narrative transparency
Effective use of pauses and vocal textures
Interpersonal focus limits broader metaphorical reach
Occasional reliance on colloquial conversational filler